Christian "Independent"

I'm an evangelical Christian, member of the CPC, but presently & unjustly exiled to wander the political wilderness.All opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Memo to the Guelph Liberals

If you're looking for your arterial signs that vanished from the Hanlon Expressway the other day, I suggest you contact the Ministry of Transportation Ontario... a little birdie told me that the MTO hauled several dozen of your arterial signs off to the dump, as their placement along Highway #6 was in violation with the Ontario Highway Traffic Act.

Guelph Liberals continue a negative campaign

It's only day seven of the by-election, but there's every indication that the Dion/Valeriote Liberals plan to continue with an extremely negative campaign in Guelph.

This time, it's Liberal MP Scott Brison jumping into the thick of things, insulting Ms. Kovach, with a hypocritical statement about this negative campaigning from Mr. Valeriote himself.

First, the Liberals called her a seal. Then, it was a "sock puppet". Now, Brison and the Liberals are comparing her to a sheep. A sheep? Really? Wow, I don't think the citizens of Guelph would be likely to associate Ms. Kovach with any of those!

From the Guelph Mercury: "Liberal MP Scott Brison yesterday said his party wants the byelection to focus on ideas, but at the same time took a shot at Gloria Kovach, saying the Conservative party candidate is qualified to be "part of Stephen Harper's flock of sheep."

Will these baseless negative attacks never end? Fortunately, the local media in Guelph has begun to pick up on the negative vibes coming from the Liberal campaign.

Also from the Mercury, Brison said that Kovach was qualified "to be part of the Stephen Harper team, because Stephen Harper likes MPs he can muzzle, he likes MPs he can silence and he likes MPs who are able to subordinate their own opinions and defer to his judgment."

Of course, Brison's not from around Guelph, so he knows very little about Ms. Kovach. But the people of Guelph know her well, and they well know that she's always been her own woman, independantly minded, and not afraid to speak to the issues at hand. A case in point is her clear opposition to the proposed 6.5% municipal tax increase in Guelph. She's one of the only three councillors who have vocally come out in opposition to this increase. A "sock puppet"? A "sheep"? That sure doesn't sound like the Gloria Kovach I've met, nor the Gloria Kovach that Guelph knows.

Attack, smear, slander. That seems to be the majority of what's coming out of the Guelph Liberal campaign. Then to top it all off, Mr. Valeriote has this hypocritical little concluding statement quoted in the Guelph Mercury: 'Elections should be about "attacking problems, not people."'

Mr. Valeriote, you ought to take a bit of your own advice. Shame on you.

UPDATE: The Guelph Mercury has posted on their GuelphVotes blog regarding the negative tone of the Valeriote campaign.

h/t to Stephen Taylor... who's post also reports on a major communications leak from Liberal HQ.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Guelph Liberal supporters continue the negative attacks

Well, yesterday Steve Valeriote (Frank's relative) was calling Guelph Conservative candidate Gloria Kovach a "trained seal". Now another Liberal supporter is calling her a Harper "sock puppet"! Will these negative attacks never end? The following graphic was created by one of the Liberal supporters:

I'll repeat what I said yesterday... the people of Guelph know Gloria way better than these immature Liberal bloggers do. Will Frank distance himself from these negative attacks... or is he happy to just let them continue?

The citizens of Guelph know Gloria as the devoted 17 year veteran of City Council. They've seen her serving the nation as former President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. They've watched her as she's represented their City, and this great nation, on various trade and humanitarian missions overseas. And they watched her in recent months leading the charge against a proposed massive 6.5% municipal tax hike for the 2009 budget.

Are these Liberal bloggers saying that Harper's been pulling her strings all these years? Yea... their juvenile little antics just don't hold water.

UPDATE: Even good old Jason Cherniak piled on today, with this comment: "Gloria Kovach - the only president of the FCM to be fired. What a candidate!"

Well, I'm glad you bring that subject up Jason... the Guelph Mercury is still poking around on that issue, looking for the answers that have never been given on why Kovach was removed, without cause, from her post as FCM President. A statement was issued several months after her removal, indicating that her removal had nothing to do with her performance while serving as President. That leaves only one reason for her removal... political interference. Dion's office finally issued a denial last week, (I'm not convinced, however) but the FCM still has not come clean with what exactly happened. Until the FCM finally admits why they had her removed, a dark cloud still hangs over that supposedly non-partisan organization.

And just for the record, Jason... some have suggested she was removed because of her intentions to run for Parliament. We know that can't possibly be the reason, because your own MP Byron Wilfert did the exact same thing when he was FCM President, right Jason?

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Guelph Liberal supporters on the attack

You have got to be kidding me... the very same day I'm posting about the negativity (mainly sexism) in politics, and what does the Liberal Steve Valeriote (yes, as in Frank Valeriote's relative) go and post today?

He goes on the mudslinging attack, with a post called, "Arf Arf"... and says that the Guelph CPC candidate is nothing more than a trained seal.

Is this another Liberal "Chow Chow" incident?

Steve, the people of Guelph know Gloria Kovach very well, and "trained seal" is not the phrase that comes to mind when talking to people about Kovach. If you'd spent any time talking to people in the riding, as I have when I went and volunteered, you'd know that. She's been a well known and respected City councillor for 17 years, and I don't think the residents of Guelph will take too kindly to your disgusting mud slinging.

Shame on you. I hope Frank "Does the right thing" and calls you out on this one.

UPDATE: Thanks to Scott Tribe, yes, Steve Valeriote is of the same Valeriote's as Frank... though I'm unsure of the actual linkage, nephew, 2nd cousin, etc... from Scott's blog post "Marva comes up a bit short": "I'd like to extend my personal congratulations to Frank Valeriote, the official winner (and Steve V’s relative - he of Far and Wide)."

Sexism still reigns in Canadian politics

Despite what we may say, or what we might think, sexism is still a rampant and reprehensible problem in our Canadian political system. For a test case in point, all one needs to do is look to the Guelph by-election, where there's already been several incidents of sexism against the only female candidate, Gloria Kovach.

Even before the campaign began, Guelph blogger Jerry Prager, had this to say about Gloria back in April... "we get to look at a thumbnail campaign picture of Gloria on the cover on the Guelph Tribune every issue, in which she smiles seductively for the camera, hoping to lure unsuspecting voters into bed with the right, of which she is clearly begging to become the local pin-up. I call the picture her "Come Hither & Huck Farper" pose.", and then again said that we shouldn't, "let ourselves be seduced by the smiles of Sirens". What a sexist pig, how many sexist remarks did he manage to pack into those two sentences?

Then we have a die-hard supporter of the previous Guelph CPC candidate, who's made statements like this on the Guelph Mercury blog..."Rona and Helena do have their 'assets'". In an era where everyone agrees that we need better female representation in the House of Commons, it's statements like this that reveal the ugly and undiscussed side of politics in this country... that deep down, we're still sexist pigs when it comes to women running for higher office. He even sent the following e-mail to a Gloria supporter on the launch of the Guelph by-election... "May the best man win". And yes, his use of the word "man" was intentional.

But perhaps most telling of all, and most disturbing for that matter, is a comment I came across just today. Though the person who made the statement does have some legitimate reason to be angry, I think his statement is reflective of how far we have yet to go in terms of women in politics. Guelph blogger BlueZone today posted a comment that was overheard from the previous Guelph CPC candidate, saying that he won't be "supporting or voting for that b***h Kovach". Granted, he's likely still bitter about what happened to him, and with good reason. But beyond that, I think his comment is rather telling of where we are as a nation when it comes to women in politics. In expressing his anger, he could have chosen a host of other names or phrases to use, but instead, he resorted to the politician's "standard" derogatory sexist remark, by calling her a "female dog".

Why is that word so common in political circles when it comes to talking about women? I know it's been used of Belinda Stronach, and I cringe every time I hear it. It's disgusting, reprehensible, and ought to have no place in Canadian politics. Instead, we ought to be treating women honourably, with the respect that they deserve, and judging their candidacy not on their gender, but solely on their qualifications and experience.

(Of course, he could have taken his own advice in Guelph, where Marva Wisdom, an experienced and well qualified black woman sought, and eventually lost, the Liberal nomination. Marva was later quoted in the National Post, and 'said her nomination experience had taught her how much work needs to be done in terms of "opening up the party and moving away from the old boys' club."')

One thing I keep hearing is people who attack Mr. Harper for not having enough women in his caucus, or in his Cabinet. Well, the people of Guelph have a unique opportunity this coming September. Guelph can either send another man to the House, or they can choose to send Mr. Harper a well qualified woman, who even has the experience needed for consideration for Cabinet.

So Guelph, what's it going to be? A continuation of the rampant political sexism, or a concerted effort to change the male dominated status quo?

CBC's "Maria"

Janna got robbed!!! (Hey, my wife's a professional singer... what else did you think was going to be on my TV on Monday nights for the last few weeks?)

UPDATE: Oh, by the way ALW and CBC... I likely won't be getting tickets now, though I had been strongly considering it thinking that Janna, the most popular contestant week after week, was going to win. I mean, come on... it's obvious that all the Jayme fans moved over to Elicia just to make sure Janna didn't win.

Frank paid the tab, right OLY?

Looks like the by-election is in full swing in Guelph... the Ontario Young Liberals arranged to bus in about 20 youth from Toronto and surrounding areas, in order to drop flyers for Liberal candidate Frank Valeriote. (read all about it here, here, and here)

Just want to point out one thing, however, in regards to the Elections Act... I assume that Frank is picking up the tab for the bus, the food, and any other costs involved with this event, right guys and gals? Otherwise, that's considered an "illegal contribution".

You see, although the OYL arranged for the trip to Guelph for these kids, the OYL isn't allowed to incur these costs on Frank's behalf during the writ period. Therefore, if OYL is the one who picked up the tab, it's considered an illegal donation... because an expense of this nature is supposed to be charged to the campaign, and goes against their spending cap.

Can Frank's team produce the receipts and assure the people of Guelph that they're not engaging in any financial funny business?

Dion's Carbon Tax a Job Killer?

Let's just see how well it plays in the upcoming by-election in Guelph, with it's significant auto-sector. The City of Guelph stands to lose hundreds of jobs if Dion's Carbon Tax were ever implemented. With Dion's Carbon Tax, the cost of materials for auto parts goes up, making it harder for Linamar (their largest auto parts manufacurer) to bid on part contracts with the big automakers due to the higher cost of production. As such, more contracts will be won by bidders outside of Canada, resulting in reduced production, and therefore shift reductions, in many of Guelph's auto part plants.

There's a line you won't see in any Liberal ads, I'll bet... "Dion's Green Shift = Shift Layoffs"

But as Liberal candidate Gerald Samson told his leader Wednesday, making environmental policy the front-and-centre message of the campaign will be risky business in hard times.

"They seem to not believe the tax shift is going to benefit them," Mr. Samson told Mr. Dion, a lone voice of caution in an otherwise warm crowd of 100 in Cornwall. "I have a hard time explaining it to them."

That's always been the problem with the $15-billion scheme to put a price on carbon pollution and refund the revenue gains through federal tax breaks. It's not doorstep-friendly for campaigning candidates and a tough swallow to voters accustomed to regular federal fleecings.

Besides, the ominous soundtrack to much of the feedback was that the economy takes precedence over the environment in voter concern and that anything that can be successfully demonized as a job killer will turn the proposing party into campaign roadkill.

The first test of Mr. Dion's carbon tax sales success won't be long in coming.

The three vacant ridings where byelections will be held -- two in Quebec and one in Ontario -- will be a public referendum on a Green Shift plan that both the Liberals and Conservatives seem anxious to make the ballot box issue.

While two of the ridings appear safe from a steal, the Conservatives have a heavyweight carrying their flag in the Liberal stronghold of Guelph. Local councillor Gloria Kovach, a prize catch for the Conservatives as a leading national figure for local politicians, just might have enough clout to overcome the 5,000-vote victory cushion given to the Liberals in 2006.

Of course conventional wisdom suggests that byelections just don't matter. But in this case, the environmental concerns of the electorate will be measured against worries about Canada's economic slide.

Anything less than Liberal retention of their two seats will knock the Official Opposition back into House of Commons whimper mode and delay the general election until 2009.

And that would leave envy as the only green in Stéphane Dion's leadership.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Layton rockets past Dion on Facebook!

LOL... looks like all the Liberal fretting yesterday couldn't stop the Smiling Jack Express train... Jack Layton officially shot past Dion last night for having the highest number of supporters on Facebook, and just kept right on chugging. The current numbers for Jack are 11,677, versus 11,496 for Stephane Dion... a difference of 180. (not bad when you consider that he was down by 54 as of 5:00pm last night... that's 230 additional supporters in less than a day!)

While many folks have a "Who cares?" attitude about this, a lot more people, including the folks who run these pages, know better. Though Facebook is hardly a reliable poll, it says something interesting about where the hearts and minds of today's youth are. In the past, the Liberal Party could count on the youth of Canada as being solidly in their camp in terms of support. Today's young people though, are a whole lot more politically savvy than most people give them credit for. They're also becoming more selective when it comes to throwing their support to any individual or party. As such, there's been a HUGE resurgence in the last few years of support for both the NDP and the Conservative Party amongst young people. In years past, it was getting rare to see a conservative leaning campus club in many of our Universities. Today, most major schools have one, and many are strong and growing.

In fact, one commenter on this blog yesterday, thinking that they were mocking me, only served to prove my point. He (she?) pointed out that I hadn't mentioned the fact that Mr. Harper is third in the Facebook supporters race, with only 10,195 supporters. Well, thanks for proving my point! The fact that Mr. Harper even has 10,195 young people who are willing to fly the Conservative banner on Facebook attests to the very fact that conservatism is alive and well amongst the youth of this country! (though obviously, there's still lots of work left to be done)

Anyway, the fact that Layton has managed to pass Dion, right on the eve of a by-election, is yet another embarrassing blow to the formerly almighty Liberal machine. It exposes the fact that the support amongst youth that they once could count on is no longer solid... and perhaps serves as a reminder that Mr. Dion is not the "leader" that Liberals hoped he would become.

Congrats again to Mr. Jack Layton on his astonishing resurgence, at a time when many people we beginning to speculate on the NDP becoming politically irrelevant. Though it's just on Facebook right now, it could well be an indicator of things yet to come.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Liberals terrified of Layton on Facebook II

Looks like I was right... there's been a MAJOR push for new supporters to sign up on Dion's Facebook page in the last few hours... since about 1:00pm today, Dion's Facebook supporter numbers have spiked, with an additional 54 signing up in the last 8 hours.

Liberal Facebook users are worried!

Been watching over the last few days, and it looks like Jack Layton is, or should I say WAS, about to pass Stephane Dion for having the greatest number of Facebook supporters.

I say WAS because it looks like the Liberals have gone into panic mode, trying to make sure that embarrasing event doesn't happen... I've been watching, and I've seen Dion's supporter numbers spike in the last hour. Looks like some young Liberals have gotten the word out and had their friends jump on board quick. I can almost picture the desperate e-mails and text messages that must have gone out...

"Help us save Mr. Dion from Facebook embarrassment! Quick, log on to your Facebook and sign on as his supporter now, before Jack Layton can catch up!!!"

An hour ago, Jack was only 22 supporters away... now Dion, or should I say his paniced young supporters, have opened up that gap to 30.

Still, I don't think the lead will hold much longer. Watch the all the fun for yourself right here!

Instant Update: Right after posting this, I saw Dion's numbers tick up another four supporters... looks like I was right, they're really worried!!!

One commenter told me to "give my head a shake" if I thought this was of any sort of importance. Symbolicly, it's really important, as the Liberal Facebook users have proven today. They know that if Layton passes Dion, it'll be embarrassing, and that piece of news will be spread far and wide, and that's not a good thing right before a series of by-elections. So yes, ree, it is important... I know it, and members of both the Opposition parties know it. So there.

Monday, July 21, 2008

John Tory made a good move today

Just got off the phone with him, along several other Ontario conservative bloggers. It was a good chat about where we're at, and where we want to go. Looking forward to seeing what comes of it, and the future conversations he's wanting to have.

Someone want to explain that one to me again? Cause I obviously don't get it.

Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh said he understands Commissioner Elliott's urge to call his officers. However, Mr. Dosanjh said it was inappropriate given the possibility of disciplinary action or a police investigation in relation to the death of Robert Dziekanski.

Guelph NDP: Out of touch

Well, the Guelph NDP candidate Tom King just did a fine job of shooting himself in the foot, and they're not even out of the gate yet! I've been watching things there pretty closely for a while now, and I got a Google Alert about an event regarding Bill C-61 that Tom will be attending in Toronto. He's been trying to make Bill C-61 a major issue in the upcoming by-election, but in so doing, he's revealed just how out of touch he is with the average person in that town.

Here's what he said...

“Guelph is a city based on the arts and academia. The demographic in this community cares passionately about the development of digital culture and the arts. Bill C-61 is a piece of legislation that is completely contrary to the innovative and inquisitive spirit of the Guelph region.”

Really Tom? Guelph is a "city based on the arts and acedemia"?

Well, according to the City of Guelph's own website, that's certainly not the case! Let's see, here's the numbers from the City's "Top 100 Employeers" page:

Add that all up? That's a whole lot of people in Guelph in the auto sector ALONE. And that's not even mentioning all the Cambridge Toyota plant employees who live in Guelph!

So, both the NDP and the Liberals have exposed themselves as not having a real clue about the people of Guelph, the NDP with dumb statements like that, and the Liberals with Dion's Carbon Tax... which will result in even more auto workers losing their jobs. Because don't forget, the Carbon Tax will increase the cost of manufacturing all goods here in Canada, which means that US buyers will end up looking at more competative bids from elsewhere, which will result in even more lost auto manufacturing jobs here in Ontario, and in Guelph specifically.

Tom, he doesn't have a clue what the people of Guelph do for a living.Frank, his boss wants to put Guelph auto workers out of a job.

OTTAWA — Conservatives reacted with rage Wednesday after opposition MPs on the Commons ethics committee agreed to 78 potential witnesses for its inquiry into the Tory election ad controversy - but excluded every witness the Tories proposed.

EXCUSE ME? Blocking every single one of our witnesses?

Like I said... nothing more than a partisan FARCE on the part of the Opposition.

Shame on them, and shame on the partisan chair, Liberal MP Paul Szabo, for letting it descend into this.

I SAY WE PROROGUE PARLIAMENT, and put an end this despicable partisan grandstanding.

"If I had a million dollars..."

"In a separate court document, Page is alleged to have admitted the substance was cocaine after a police officer entered the apartment and questioned whether the substance was really calcium because it was testing positive for cocaine."

(I'm really surpised that no one else used that title for a blog post yet...)

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

A Statement of Faith

I know lots of people think that Christians shouldn't have anything to do with politics in Canada, but I disagree. So I thought I'd start another discussion on that topic to see what people think.

For starters, I found this "Statement of Faith" online from a nearby church, and I think it's pretty good... nothing here I'd disagree with. How about you?

What We Believe as a Church

1. About the Bible We believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. The word "inspired" means that God superintended the writing and the collection of the books of the Bible, allowing the writers to use their own style, reflecting the uniqueness of their readers. We believe the Bible is without error in the original writing and is the final authority for faith and life. No other writings are inspired like the Bible. (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 19:7-11, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:21)

2. About God We believe there is one God who exists in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three persons possess the same nature, qualities and glory but are distinct in their roles. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 48:16, Matthew 28:19, James 2:19)

3. About Jesus Christ We believe that Jesus Christ is the only son of God, he was both fully man and God, was conceived of the Holy Spirit, was virgin born of Mary, died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin, he rose again the third day in bodily form and that the only way to reconnect with God is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He ascended into heaven and sits at the Father's right hand, interceding for us. (I John 5:20, Luke 1:35, Matthew 1:20, I Peter 1:18-19, Romans 4:25, Ephesians 2:8-9, Hebrews 4:14-16)

4. About Salvation We believe that we were all created reflecting God's character but were separated from God because of sin and that salvation is entirely because of God's grace and mercy through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe that once you are part of God's family, that you are part of it for all eternity. (Genesis 1:27, Romans 3:23; 5:12, Titus 3:5, I Peter 1:5)

5. About the Holy Spirit We believe that each believer is indwelt with the Holy Spirit at the time of crossing the line of faith. The work of the Holy Spirit is to help people understand who Jesus Christ is; to convict us when we sin, to guide, instruct and provide the power to become fully devoted followers of Christ. (Ephesians 4:30, Romans 8:9, John 14:16-18; 16:8-14)

6. About the Church We believe that all followers of Christ are part of the universal church with Jesus Christ as the head of the church. The local church is an expression of God's design for the church and it has the right to decide and rule over its own affairs. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances that are to be observed during this present age. (Matthew 28:19-20, I Corinthians 11:23-28; 12:12-27, Galatians 3:27-28, Ephesians 1:22-23, Acts 2:42-46)

7. About the Return of Christ We believe that one day Jesus will return from heaven and gather those who are followers back to heaven to spend eternity with him. (John 14:1-6, Acts 1:11, I Thessalonians 4:14-18, Revelation 21:1-4)

8. About the Resurrection We believe in a bodily resurrection from the dead and that those who are followers of Christ will go to heaven and those who reject the message of the gospel will be separated for eternity from God in a place called hell. (Revelation 20:12-13, Philippians 1:23, 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

MP Gary Goodyear destroys "In and Out" arguments

That was fun to watch! Got to watch some of the coverage today on CPAC on my afternoon break, and just happened to catch Cambridge Conservative MP Gary Goodyear's line of questioning for Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand.

Gary systematically, point-by-point, ripped the case for the so called "In and Out" affair to shreds! He went through each of the steps of how exactly the regional ad buys were conducted, and got an "Affirmative" from Mr. Mayrand that each step was perfectly legal.

Interstingly enough, the entire case being put together by Elections Canada is that by combining each of these perfectly legal actions, they somehow became illegal. Mr. Goodyear blew that argument out of the water today.

It confirms the fact that the actions of the Conservative Party of Canada were perfectly legitimate and legal... and that the Opposition is simply grasping at straws for their own partisan political purposes.

Anyone heard from Danny "Millions"?

Anyone notice something unusual? Yea, I thought you might have. Stephane Dion has managed to accomplish something incredible, something that no other federal leader has been able to do... he's managed to shut up Danny "Millions" Williams with his "Green Shaft" Carbon Tax scheme.

How? Well, that's actually where the good news ends for Dion. You see, prior to Dion's "Green Shaft" carbon tax plan, Danny boy was shouting "ABC!" from the rooftops... to vote for "Anybody But Conservatives" in the next election.

Now? He knows that as an oil producing province, Dion's "Green Shaft" will pump millions OUT of his province, just like it will in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia, which are all (now) oil producing provinces.

Here's the only thing I can find online regarding Danny's opinion of Dion's carbon tax, from the Telegram:

"I have a position on that at this point, but I'm not prepared to discuss it," Williams said.

You see, Danny's always been a bit of a prideful fellow, and maybe he just can't bring himself to say anything about Dion's carbon tax plan. Because in so doing, he'd have to recommend the voters of his provice do exactly the opposite of what he's been telling them for months... to vote for their local Conservative candidate in an effort to stop Dion's costly "Green Shaft".

Dion's "Green Shaft"... helping rally Canadians in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia to the Conservative banner like never before.

One theory is that Danny Boy is actually considering supporting Dion's carbon tax, if he can manage to get a side-deal out of Dion.

Now we'll see what Dion's really made of... if he offers a deal to Newfoundland, it means this "Carbon Shaft" is just that, a plan to specifically plunder the West.

And it will mean that his outspoken MP's like Martha Hall Findley will be correct in their assesments of Dion's Carbon Tax plan... that it's really just a crass political ploy to buy votes in Ontario, and not really a plan to deal with Climate Change.

Monday, July 14, 2008

More shifty "Green Shaft" taxes

Been thinking more about Dion's proposed Carbon Tax, and his claims that it will be "revenue neutral". While they may try to technically make it revenue neutral, in returning every Carbon Tax dollar back to Canadians (though it will be returned to different Canadians than it will be collected from), the Liberals have been able to pull yet another fast one with their shift idea, that no one else seems to have picked up on yet.

The new Carbon Tax will apply to everything, and the costs of everything we buy will go up... that fact is indisputable. The Liberals keep saying, however, that their income tax reductions will offset the increases in prices due to the Carbon Tax.

BUT, the one thing they HAVEN'T, and likely WON'T point out, is that even if they return every dollar of the Carbon Tax to other Canadians, overall tax revenues will still rise as a direct result of the Carbon Tax... and they haven't, and likely won't, promise to return those new revenues to Canadians.

What do I mean? Quite simply, we know the cost of everything is going to go up. Thus, if prices on the products you buy have gone up, SO WILL THE CURRENTLY EXISTING TAXES, like the GST.

Think about it... say you buy a new DVD player. Due to the increased transportation costs, assume what used to cost $99.99 now costs $103.99. Before the Carbon Tax, the 5% GST on that DVD player was $4.99. After Dion's Carbon Tax price increase? $5.20... that's a $0.21 increase per $100 unit in tax revenue for all of Dion's new spending programs.

What about the taxes on fuel, both diesel and gasoline? Since we know the price at the pump will rise due to increased production and transportation costs, so will the Federal taxes, still further increasing the price at the pump.

Your home heating costs? Same deal... the GST will increase as the cost of the fuel increases, be it Natural Gas, home heating oil, or electricity.

Food? Well, in this area you're okay, because the GST isn't applied to most groceries... though their prices will have again increased due to the increase transportation costs alone, not to mention the increased markups required by grocers due to higher hydro prices.

And for one final example, what about that new Prius you're thinking about buying? You know, to "do your part" in reducing GHG. Well, including taxes, you're currently looking at $32602.20, of which $1,447.00 of that is GST. Since even the Prius requires the use of fossil fuels during it's production, and ALL of the materials involved are going to increase in price, those costs will be passed on to you, the consumer, in the sticker price. So what does that mean? Well, assume a modest price increase, all factors included, of just $1,000 in the sticker price. What does that mean in terms of the GST? Right off the bat, that's gonna be a $50 increase in GST revenues for Mr. Dion's Liberals.

Now stop and think about that a little further... in 2006, 1,666,327 new cars were sold in Canada. Even with a projected decrease in sales to 1.5 million units due to a slowing economy, at a mere $1,000 increased cost per unit (some will be more, some will be less), and the resulting $50 GST increase per $1,000 unit increase, that works out to an additional $75,000,000, that's SEVENTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS, of increased GST revenues. And that's talking ONLY about new cars, forget about the increased costs on everything else.

What does this all mean? It means that Mr. Dion is still being a little shifty in his numbers when he says his Carbon Tax will be revenue neutral... in reality, the Liberals look to collect overall HIGHER tax revenues though the GST alone, due to the increased costs on everyday goods... amongst all the other taxes out there.

"Know your enemy"

I don't know who said it first, but it's a well known adage for when one goes to war. So today, I took that old advice, and even looked him in the eye.

So I finally met Mr. Dion the other day. Nice guy and all, took lots of time to meet and talk to people... but I still don't ever want him to win the keys to 24 Sussex.

On a side note, in keeping with my "non-partisan" side, a bunch of young Liberals and I were smiling and remenicing on how we together helped to ensure that MMP died a quick death last year. And yes, they all knew exactly who I was... actually, we were laughing because more people seem to know me as "Christian Conservative" than by my real name! (See? I'm not the rabid partisan some people think I am!)

I tried to get pic taken with Mr. Dion, and a Liblogger had my camera all ready to go, but the batteries died... D'OH!!! At least I managed to get the above shot with some new batteries.

Wow, I'm a Large Mammal!!!

This Wii blog started out way down on the "Truth Laid Bare" list, quickly working its way up to "Adorable Rodent" status, then not long ago clawed it's way up to "Marauding Marsupial" status... where I was quite content.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Will Godfrey keep double dipping, or retire?

Liberal MP John Godfrey has already started his new job, but apparently, he's decided that instead of sticking to his original retirement date of July 1, he's going to keep on being an MP until August 1.

A rally was held outside of the Toronto French School yesterday, where John Godfrey has already begun his new job as Headmaster. The organizer, Gord Moore (full disclosure, he's the campaign manager for the CPC's candidate in Don Valley West) has pointed out that while he's collecting his paycheque from the TFS, he'll also be collecting his July salary as a Member of Parliament... which will be somewhere in the neighbourhood of $13,000.

So, John Godfrey has been asked a simple question... will be continue to "double-dip" on the taxpayers dime, or will he retire immediately?

After all, he did originally say he was going to retire back on July 1... his explanation for why he's staying on the payroll?

"I haven't had a holiday since last summer," he said. "I've taken my holiday time to pack up both of my offices."

In order for him to access his parliamentary office and to request more than 14 years of correspondence, he officially still has to be an MP, he added.

"I decided instead of taking a holiday, I would use that time for transition and could start the new job and I just wouldn't have a holiday," Godfrey said about currently being headmaster at TFS.

My theory? I think the Liberals are trying to put an unofficial "spending cap" on the Conservatives, since the Liberals themselves are pretty much broke. What do I mean by that? During a by-election, each party is permitted to spend $50,000 per riding. So do the simple math... $50,000, times by three by-elections, and you come to a total of $150,000 that each national party is allowed to spend during the by-election writ period. Of course, when I say three ridings, I'm referring only to the Westmount, St. Lambert, and Guelph ridings that are currently vacant.

Because you see, if John Godfrey had stuck to his original schedule, then there would be FOUR ridings in play... and an additional $50,000 that each party could spend during the by-election period.

So you see, the Liberals having John Godfrey has some significant strategic consequences... since the Liberals likely don't have $200,000 to spare, and they know the Tories are awash in cash, by asking Mr. Godfrey to stick around for an extra two weeks, they've managed to reduce their expenses, and prevent the Tories for making use of their full resources during the by-election period.

Clever little move there, don't you think? Of course, the issue of the double-dipping is still hanging out there, but since the press (other than the Toronto Sun) haven't caught on, well, they're likely off the hook... again.

Guelph NDP fire first shot in by-election... and miss

Even though the writ has yet to be dropped, the NDP in Guelph have come out of the gate swinging, firing the first salvo in what looks to be an interesting race in the upcoming by-election... however, it looks like King is a little off target on this one!

NDP candidate Tom King put out a press release yesterday, seeking to make Bill C-61 a local by-election issue. The release even got coverage online at the CBC.

Problem is though, there's a little bit of misinformation that King is perpetuating in order to try and generate outrage amongst the public. King states that, “Under Bill C-61, if you purchase a new computer and move the songs from your ipod to the new computer, the Conservatives believe that is a criminal offence,” said King. “This type of American approach to copyright law does not benefit Canadian consumers, or Canadian artists.” However in actual fact, the bill will expressly allow just the opposite!

For the record, here's the relevant info from the "Private Copying of Music" from Industry Canada's "Copyright Reform Process" page:

Current law

You can copy music onto audio recording media, such as CDs, mini-discs and audio cassette tapes, for private use. However, current copyright law does not allow you to copy music onto devices such as computers and MP3 players (e.g., iPods).

What the proposed "private copying of music" provision would allow

What could be copied? — You could make a copy of music you have accessed legally onto devices you own and onto media to use with these devices. However, you could not copy music you have borrowed or rented.

How many copies could be made? — One copy for each device you own, including your computer, iPod and MP3 player, whether the copy is made directly onto the device or onto a medium such as a DVD or removable memory card to be used in connection with such devices.

In which format? — Any format (e.g., ".wav" or ".mp3"). In fact, you could alter the format of the file if necessary to copy it onto another device.

Where could you enjoy your copy? — Anywhere, as long as it's for private purposes.

Who could use the copy? — Only you could use the copies you make. Members of your family or friends could enjoy them with you, but you could not give away any of the copies. If you were to give away or sell the original material, all the copies you made from that original would have to be destroyed.

Did you catch that? "One copy for each device you own, including your computer, iPod and MP3 player, whether the copy is made directly onto the device or onto a medium such as a DVD or removable memory card to be used in connection with such devices." That statement from Industry Canada right there completely blows apart King's entire argument! He says that you won't be able to move your music from your iPod to a new computer... but the legislation is actually written to expressly ALLOW you to do just that!

Well, we're not even out of the gate, and King has already been exposed for using misinformation to attack his opponents. I must say on that basis, things aren't looking too good for the Guelph NDP, as people generally don't like being lied to by politicians.

Friday, July 11, 2008

And they just keep coming

Thanks once again to the fan/hater base for this Wii little blog... visitor 130,000 crossed into my "domain" at about 10:30 this morning.

And speaking of "domain"... for all those fans who can't remember my URL, life just got easier! With the new CIRA regulations that came into effect recently, I've been able to register my own .CA for this blog! (you couldn't remain anonymous for a .ca domain until recently) You can now reach my random ramblings at www.christianconservative.ca!

(it's actually just a redirect to this Blogger page, but it makes life easier when I'm giving out the URL to people on the street. It's kinda weird, happened again the other day, I'm better known on the street in political circles by my persona than my real name...)

But wait, there's more! If you're lazy, and don't feel like typing the "www.", you can even skip it... you see, my redirect acutally works. While I'm on that note, I see the Guelph Liberal candidate's team have finally gotten around to fixing his. ;-)

And this post is number 1626... wow, that's a lot of errant streams of thought. As you were.

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Liberal "Green Shifting" two seats to the NDP?

For that matter, who knows... Dion's "Green Shaft" may even end up "shifting" them into the CPC's "WIN" column in the next election.

Which ridings am I referring to? Nunavut and Yukon.

Why? Because according to this article from two weeks ago, all three of the northern premiers have given Mr. Dion's "Green Shaft" the thumbs down. And in those ridings, where there's only a few thousand votes up for grabs in each, the thumbs down of the Premiers could be the kiss of death to these Liberal MP's.

It appears that Liberal Leader Stephane Dion has a lot more work to do if he wants to convince Canadian leaders to back his carbon tax plan.

Northern premiers say they're not buying the Liberal proposal. They emerged from two days of meetings in Yellowknife giving the thumbs down to Dion's plan. Northwest Territories Premier Floyd Roland, Yukon Premier Dennis Fentie and Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik said it would not be fair to their residents.

"We'd rather focus on alternatives to get away from fossil fuels. But to add on a cost to very high fuel costs already is just not an option for homeowners in our territory," Okalik said.

"(In the North), there really are no alternatives for us in Nunavut to turn to, to get away from diesel generation for power and for heat," he said.

"We think there are better ways to deal with this issue than another tax being applied, especially in the North where the cost of goods and services is already predominantly higher than anywhere else in the country," Fentie said.

The first "BIG" Order of Canada Resignation

This just in from the CBC... former New Brunswick Lieutenant-Governor Gilbert Finn has sent a letter to the Prime Minister and to the Governor General indicating his desire to withdraw from the Order.

"I've sent a note to the prime minister and to the Governor General saying that since Dr. Morgentaler is now a member of the order, I'm returning my insignia and no longer want to be part of the Order," Finn told Radio-Canada in French.

Maybe now the Governor General will have to listen to reason, and veto this despicable appointment.

InSite users intimidate doctor into not appearing

This is disgusting... apparently, a doctor from B.C. (I was not able to catch his name on the CPAC broadcast) has informed the Clerk of the Standing Committee on Health that he will be unable to appear today as he was scheduled to do.

On Tuesday of this week, his offices were invaded by InSite users and supporters, and he was personally threatened due to his opposition to the program and his intention to testify to that effect before the Standing Committee on Health.

Resorting to threats of violence? I say shut the thing down NOW, as it's obviously not working in reducing crime and violence. I fully expect the local police to press charges in this matter, and arrest the offenders.

I'll post more on this story IF the media can provide more details. Otherwise, we'll have to wait for the transcript.

Liberals desperate for a "Green Shift"

"The green shift that the Liberals really need is the one that comes in the form of cash. The party's fiscal situation is not the healthiest."

Ivison also points out that their situation may be so dire, that they may have even asked retiring MP John Godfrey to hold off on his "official" retirement, so that the by-election in his "safe" riding can't be called until mid-September. Ivison sermises that they may be doing this because they can't afford to run four by-elections at the same time. I have another theory.

During a by-election, on top of the local campaign's spending limit, the National Party has a $50,000 spending cap per riding involved in the by-election. The Liberals may be not only trying to save a few of their own bucks, but also may be trying to limit how much the Conservatives and NDP are able to spend, since both of those parties have way more cash on hand for fighting the upcoming by-elections.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Some people just don't get it

Our friend, Garth Turner, loves to keep stirring the pot like no one else can. In his most recent post, (which I think is supposed to stand in for a sort-of apology) has this to say under the section entitled, "Things I've Learned"...

"that a bunch of people in the West can’t get over a 28-year-old policy and a dead prime minister. What a burden to carry around"

Well, as a Central Canadian who "gets it", I thought I'd take a stab at trying to explain it to my fellow Central Canadian...

Mr. Turner, when you've been forced to watch as a particular political party economicaly exploited your province in the name of political expediency, have been too long governed by this same party that obviously cares nothing about your economic well-being, and who while in Opposition are now once again proposing to devastate your local economy in the same way they did 28-years ago, you better believe that the folks "out West" would have a very long, and unforgiving, memory.

As George Santayana said, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Well, it looks like the folks "out West" have learned all to well from history... they've learned that the Liberal Party of Canada cannot be trusted to look out for their best interests, and that the Liberal Party of Canada is more than willing to sacrifice them economically at the drop of a hat if they think they can squeeze more votes out of Ontario and or Quebec. They've learned their lesson very well... and you bet they're going to do their best to ensure that Mr. Stephane Dion NEVER becomes Prime Minister.

Because they don't want to be forced to bear the additional burden of having their lives ruined AGAIN by a yet another Liberal Prime Minister's program.

Monday, July 07, 2008

Gunter: "The obnoxious Garth Turner"

This piece from Lorne Gunter in today's National Post explains pretty much why Conservative's didn't shed a tear over losing him... and why we shed tears of joy when Dion decided to give him a seat on the bandwagon.

There's an old adage: When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. I'm pretty sure Liberal MP Garth Turner has never heard it before. On Thursday on his blog, Mr. Turner, long a loose canon, insisted those in the West who oppose his party's new "Green Shift" carbon tax scheme are un-Canadian, even though the plan proposes to slam Westerner energy producers about four times harder than central and eastern Canadian energy consumers.

This is an old Liberal trick: Equate the national interest with Liberal policies, then question the loyalty of anyone who disagrees.

This tactic is frequently compounded in the West which -- because it seldom returns Liberal MPs -- is frequently portrayed by Liberal prime ministers and organizers as the bad boy of Confederation.

It was Liberal Senator and campaign chairman Keith Davey who, in the 1980 election, summed up his party's strategy as "Screw the West, we'll take the rest." Liberal prime minister Jean Chretien used Alberta as a foil for everything he claimed would go wrong if his Liberals were not re-elected in 2000, and it was Mr. Chretien who said he preferred to do politics with anyone but Albertans.

Paul Martin likely maintained a minority for his party in 2004, too, by falsely claiming that if Stephen Harper were elected, he would sit idly by while Alberta dismantled medicare. Over and over, Liberals have bashed Alberta and the rest of the West to win votes in central and Atlantic Canada.

Stephane Dion signalled he was prepared to do the same two weeks ago when he began portraying Alberta and Saskatchewan as avaricious polluters who deserved to bear the brunt of his tax plan even though they have just 13% of the national population between them.

This is the same Dion who for at least a decade had been saying a carbon tax was a non-starter in large part because it would be unfair to the West. Now for a few extra votes in Ontario and (he hopes) Quebec, Mr. Dion is prepared to turn on the region, even though just last year he had pledged to be its "best partner" in Ottawa.

Still, no Liberal, with the possible exception of Sen. Davey, has been as obnoxious about his distaste for Albertans and the West as Mr. Turner.

On Thursday, the Halton, Ont., MP said he admired his leader most for having "stood up once to the self-aggrandizing, hostile, me-first, greedy, macho, selfish and Balkanizing separatist losers in Quebec," and for being prepared to "do it again in Alberta."

This provoked a lot of angry responses, not the least from Mr. Dion who called Mr. Turner and chewed him out.

After their call, Mr. Dion insisted that Mr. Turner had "retracted" his offensive remarks. But he did no such thing. He just kept digging.

As of Sunday afternoon, his remarks were still prominently displayed on his Web site and, to make matter worse, he was making new posts repeating his scurrilous charge that separatism is rampant in Alberta.

The closest Mr. Turner came to an apology was to Mr. Dion for the way his remarks made the Liberal leader's task more difficult: "That was not my intention." Talk about self-aggrandizing. Mr. Turner only went that far to save his place in the Liberal caucus.

By Sunday, Mr. Turner was back implying separatism was common among Albertans, and Westerners in general. In full demagogic huff, Mr. Turner said it was a "sad thing" that "ripping separatists" should be so controversial. After all, all he had done was make his "feelings about Western secessionists incorrectly obvious."

But where are these separatists, Mr. Turner?

There are a few Web sites advocating separatism. The odd farmer erects a billboard on his land next to a highway advocating Alberta independence. But no Western province has ever elected a separatist government. No legislature has a sitting separatist MLA (Alberta had one. One. For six months. Twenty-six years ago.) No Western province has held a referendum on sovereignty association. No Western premier has threatened to pull his province from Confederation. And the Reform party -- the most successful Western alienation movement since the Second World War --had as its slogan "The West wants In," not out.

That's not to say there is no resentment or alienation in the West. But it has been dormant lately -- until the Liberals came out with their "Green Shaft" proposal and Mr. Turner, a la Joe McCarthy, began imagining separatists everywhere and setting up separatist straw men to justify his self-serving, antagonistic, look-at-me, tough-guy grandstanding.

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Part of the "missing" Iraqi WMD program?

This is the first I've heard of it... 550 metric tonnes of "yellowcake", the seed material for a nuclear weapons program, were found and shipped out of Iraq, on the extreme QT... and has ended up in the hands of a Canadian business, in Montreal.

So a question... will this quiet those who say there was no evidence of a WMD program in Iraq?

UPDATE: It's been pointed out to me that the UN was already well aware of the existance of the "yellowcake", and that it was deemed to be held legally be Saddam... though this is honestly the first I've ever heard of it. As such, people are telling me, "It doesn't count as part of a WMD program".

I don't know about you, but personally, I'm not comfortable with the idea of a madman hanging on to 550 tonnes of "yellowcake", and everyone saying they're cool with that...

Bomb scare next to Conservative Candidate's office

I mean, I know some lefties really hate Conservatives, but come on... this is a bit much! Was checking the Guelph blog aggregators this morning (Guelph Speak and Guelph Blogs, both of whom have the story) and my eyes just about bugged out when I saw it!

UPDATE: The Kovach team has issued a press release confirming the story.

UPDATE II: Boy... I gotta start putting more clear disclaimers on these posts. My opening statement about "lefties" being responsible? I mean, come on folks... I was kidding. Just take a moment and re-read it... do you honestly think I could say something like that with a straight face? Just stop and think about it for a second... we all know that "lefties" don't typically use bombs or violence.

I mean come on, seriously... we all know that lefties prefer to use lies and fear-mongering over bombs and guns. ;-)

Thursday, July 03, 2008

This weekend's score

So, we're browsing a used bookstore this past weekend, myself, my wife, and my brother and sister-in-law, when my brother-in-law, who's a huge UFO nut (we got him a NICAP hat for Christmas) came across this old publication...

Anyway, he wasn't going to get it, but I pointed out that he'd never come across something like that again... I figured it had to be a pretty rare find in the UFO culture.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

The Order of Canada's First Resignation?

From the National Post: "At my age, and with my middling skills, I have not been graced with the time or talent to have attained such a prestigious award. But if I had, and if the same folks who honoured me then chose to celebrate a man for snuffing out little lives, I like to think I would waste no time in telling them where to stick their snowflake. I was proud that my father removed his own hard-earned Order of Canada immediately upon hearing of Morgentaler’s accolade."

Here's hoping he takes it all the way and officially returns the medal, and withdraws from the Order.

Prices have gone up... even on chocolate bars!

Just got a surprise at the cash register moments ago... went to buy a chocolate bar, and handed over my regular $1.10... only to be told it had just gone up to $1.15. The reason? The increase in gas prices.

So, since we know that Dion's Carbon Tax will increase the price at the pumps (due to increased refining and transportation costs, which will be passed down to you), and will be directly applied to diesel, which is used to transport just about everything you buy, a serious question arises... if the cost of a cheap chocolate bar has already gone up by 5%, how devastating will the impact be of Dion's new Carbon Tax on Everything, should he be elected and permitted to implement it?

Intro to modern Christian Music

Perhaps some of you have wondered, "Being a Christian, what kind of music would Christian Conservative listen to? Does he listen to hymns all day long?"

Well, welcome to the world of Christian Contemporary Music! (or "CCM" for short) There's a whole world of music that many of you have likely never heard of, filled with Biblical themes, God's Holy Scripture, and dealing with the real life issues that each and every one of us face on a daily basis... with one distinct difference.

The music I listen to offers something that most worldly music can't offer... HOPE. And answers, solutions to the many problems of life, all from God's Holy Word.

The first band/singer I'd like to introduce you all to is THIRD DAY, in reference to the resurection of our Lord Jesus Christ on the third day. They've been around a long time now, I've been listening to them for some 12 years now, and they're one of the top bands in the Christian Music scene. They're also one of best in terms of basing their lyrics and themes on God's Word, which just adds richness and depth to their music.

Order of Canada: Honouring a Murderer

The members of the current Order of Canada committee have chosen to give a black eye to all we've previously chosen to hounour, by devaluing the prestige of the Order of Canada, by granting it to a bloodsmeared murderer of the unborn. They ought to be held accountable for this disgrace, and asked to step down. Using their position to push their ideological agenda is despicable, and they should have known better when they had a split decision on whether or not to grant him the distinction... which is now worthless.

Here's what I'm hoping for... that someone who's been previously honoured with the Order of Canada will publicly return their medal, and withdraw from the Order.

Who is this group accountable to? From what I understand, it's the Governor General herself. She'll be getting my two cents on this one.

For shame.

NOTICE: Obviously, I'm not going to bother publishing certain vile pro-murder comments on this post, but if you have something of substance to add to the debate, I'll judge it on it's merits.

UPDATE: I've sent off the following letter to Her Excellency, Michaelle Jean, Governor General of Canada, asking her to reconsider the bestowing this honour on this dishonourable man, and that she examine the members of the Nominating Committee, and ask for their resignations. (for those who supported his nomination)